Grimm Tangled
by Oni No Yami Chan
Summary: The story you are about to read is a version of the Disney movie Tangled, based upon the Brothers Grimm fairytale Rapunzel. The characters are the same, though some of their personalities have been changed to fit with a more adult theme that will be present throughout the story. Many of the plot points presented also have been changed, while many remain the same...
1. Introduction

The story you are about to read is a version of the Disney movie _Tangled_, based upon the Brothers Grimm fairytale Rapunzel. The characters are the same, though some of their personalities have been changed to fit with a more adult theme that will be present throughout the story. Many of the plot points presented also have been changed, while many remain the same. For example, the journey that Flynn Rider and Rapunzel have to take into the royal city takes a month instead of just a few days.

Please note that I have taken the original story, combined with the Disney version, and added my own twist to it. While the characters carry the same names as their Disney counterparts, there's no guarantee that they'll be the exact same. With that said I do hope that I do them justice and give the reader a new understanding of who they are and who they could have been.

One important change in this story is, I like to think, the addition of two characters into the spot light. Pascal and Maximus in the Disneymovie had very small, somewhat background roles, whereas in this version they are pushed to the front and become main characters. The addition of the fact that they are, and have always been, human in this version helps to give them a better voice. I believe that Pascal and Maximus were not given enough credit for their roles in the Disney movie, and I'm pleased to be able to expand on their characters and make them, somewhat, my own.

It is a fact in this version that Mother Gothel is a witch, and always has been. Whereas in the Disney version it is rather hazy whether or not she actually has powers, Gothel uses her powers to the fullest extent in this version, and so should not be taken lightly.

And remember, dear reader, that things are not always what they appear to be.

Enjoy.


	2. Prologue

Corona, for many years, was known as the kingdom of the sun. It seemed Corona was always sunny, the harvests were plentiful, and the people were happy. What would have made them even happier was a prince or princess whom the people could shower with affection. The King and Queen of Corona tried for many years to bear a child, an heir to their throne, but to no avail.

They were about to give up, when one day an enchantress came to their castle, claiming that she knew a way which could assist them. She promised to make a potion, one that if taken once a day for one moon by the Queen would bring them a child. The king immediately insisted the enchantress move into the castle to make this potion, but she insisted that she had to stay at her cottage in the forest to make it.

"I will return at twilight every day to bring the queen her potion," she stated with a humble bow. "But I ask in return for a fee. You see, this potion will be very taxing to make, and I could use the money to grow more herbs on my land, in order to make more potions for the townspeople."

Money was no object to the king and queen, and it meant very little in comparison to the promise of a child. They King and the Enchantress agreed upon a sum of money to be delivered to her after the birth of their child. As they shook hands, the king asked, "May we have your name?"

With a tender smile, the woman pulled her hand back and brought the hood of her cloak over her head. "You may call me Mother Gothel," she answered tenderly before turning to leave.

As promised, at twilight every day Mother Gothel returned with a fresh potion for the queen to drink. It took an hour for the queen to choke down the drink, as it was distasteful. During the hour, Mother Gothel would sing lullabies or tell fairy tales, which the Queen eagerly listened to. She happily thought that she could learn these to relay to her unborn child.

At the end of the month, Mother Gothel asked the King if he had yet tried to impregnate his queen.

"Several times," he answered, gruffly. "Especially during this month."

Mother Gothel approached the queen and placed a hand on her belly. She murmured several words in a language neither King nor Queen could understand, and her hand began to glow with golden light. The royals watched in amazement, and slowly Mother Gothel began to pull an orb of light from the Queen's belly. "Sunshine," Mother Gothel stated, gently. "Your child will be born in the summer." She waved her hand and inside the orb images flashed by. A baby boy, growing into adulthood at a fast rate. "A son," Gothel stated, nodding proudly. "He will be very healthy, as well."

She let the orb go and it floated up to the ceiling then disappeared, but the King did not waste time watching it. He had gotten out of his throne and was hugging his wife, tightly. "A baby boy," he breathed, happily.

"My work is done," Mother Gothel stated, bowing to the King and Queen before turning away, but the Queen called to stop her.

"I will need someone to assist me with the birth," she pointed out, smiling. "Mother Gothel, you are very knowledgeable. Will you please stay with us, just a little longer? You are welcome to stay in the castle."

But again Mother Gothel refused, insisting that she would need to stay in her cottage in the forest. "I will assist with the birth and teach you all you need to know to take care of the child," she answered, nodding. "But again I ask for a fee so that I may work in my garden and take care of my herbs to make potions for the townspeople. I would also like to be given the placenta after the birth, if it would not be a trouble to the Queen."

Again the King agreed, though after giving Gothel a rather strange look for the last request, and they worked out a new sum which Mother Gothel would be paid only after the birth of their son.

For nine months, Mother Gothel came back to the castle once a day to assist the Queen in preparing for the baby's arrival. She taught her lullabies and many fairy tales which the child would want to hear. She taught the Queen how to breast feed and explained to her that she would know the baby's cries because she alone was its mother. She told her what would happen during the birth and what was to be done with the umbilical cord and placenta. She explained, upon request, that the placenta could be used to make potions, and would be saved and dried for her practices. She also predicted the exact day and time the baby would be born, and assured the Queen that the birth would go smoothly.

When the day finally arrived, Mother Gothel arrived just in time for the first contraction. While the King and Queen, and many servants, seemed very concerned and were rushing about trying to get things done, Mother Gothel seemed calm and even smiled and talked softly with the Queen while they waited for the doctor.

Just as Gothel predicted, the birth was quick and smooth, and after giving Mother Gothel the placenta wrapped in a white cloth everyone was rushed from the room to leave the happy parents alone with their child; a healthy baby boy.

An announcement was made and the entire kingdom celebrated the birth of their new prince. The celebration lasted a full week.

But much to Mother Gothel's dismay, she was not given the gold she had requested.

She attempted to go see the King and remind him of their deal, but was denied entrance to see him.

She waited five more years, but to no avail. Each day she came into town to attempt to see the King to receive her sum, but each day she was turned away. Finally, she unwrapped the placenta she had been given at the child's birth.

Using herbs and a spell from one of her books, she used the placenta to place a spell on the child, which she could use to her advantage if the king refused her again. She went into the kingdom one more time to see the King but again he refused her.

Late that night, after the King and Queen had gone to bed and left the prince alone, she stole into the castle, using the vines on the side to climb up and into his window. The magic which she had placed on the baby's placenta caused him to see her as his mother, and so he made no protest as she picked him up and carried him silently away in the night.

The King and Queen did not realize their child was gone until the next afternoon.

The spell Gothel had placed on the child made him see her as his mother, but not forever. Soon the spell wore off and he protested being with her, demanding that he be sent home. But Gothel refused, stating that she needed her gold before she would return him.

The prince was left with Gothel for several days before he managed to escape from her cottage. But as he ran, she placed a curse upon him, splitting his soul into three parts. He continued to run for days and days, trying to find the castle and return to his parents, but he was lost to the forest, and soon the three parts of his soul began to confuse him, and he forgot who he was.

Though the King and Queen were devastated by the loss of their only child, two years later they found they were once again with child. They did not call on Gothel to assist this time, and the birth was hard on the Queen. Her body couldn't seem to handle the child that she had within her.

Desperate to save his wife and child, the King searched and searched for a solution to the Queen's ailment. He found in a book one evening a tale about a magic golden flower which had considerable healing powers. Though he was not certain it was even real, he set out with his captain of the guard and several knights to find this flower.

In fact the flower did exist. It grew in the garden behind Mother Gothel's cottage, though the King did not know it was hers because he had never been there. When he saw the flower, he immediately ordered his knights to dig it up and return it to the castle, even though there was a fence around it with a sign requesting people not to take the plants within.

Enraged, Mother Gothel watched from the window as her golden flower was taken. In fact, this flower was the source of her powers, and without it she was unable to do magic. She followed the king and his men back to the castle, where they made the flower into a liquid that would heal the queen. That evening she went into labor.

A princess with golden hair was born from the Queen, and again the kingdom celebrated. But Gothel immediately saw that the princess had been affected by the magic of the flower. She had only survived the birth because of the flower's magic, and thus if her golden locks were ever cut, she would parish.

To save the princess, Mother Gothel again stole into the castle late at night, and took her from her crib. This time, she traveled far away with the child, so that no one would be able to take it from her.

After a month's travel, Mother Gothel found the perfect spot; a hidden grotto deep in the forest, and far away from the kingdom. With her magic she constructed a tall tower in which she and the child could live safely.

She named the girl Rapunzel.


	3. Chapter 1: Pascal and Rapunzel

"I'll be back in a few hours," Mother Gothel called as Rapunzel lowered her to the grassy floor of the grotto. Rapunzel recalled a time long ago when she'd been allowed to play there. It felt nice, the grass under her feet. There was a creek running through it as well, and splashing in it on a warm summer day like this really hit the spot.

Once Mother was out of her sight, Rapunzel pulled her hair carefully back into the tower, sighing longingly. She wanted badly to be out there, to play in the grass, to feel the water against her face. But she couldn't. She wasn't allowed to leave this place, it wasn't safe out there.

Or, so Mother Gothel said.

"What to do," Rapunzel mumbled to herself, playing with her hair. Now, at eighteen-years-old, Rapunzel had her hair grown out to just over fifty feet long. She didn't bother trying to do anything with it aside from brush it, it took much too long. Then again, she had nothing but time. Once, she had braided it in a beautiful French braid from the top of her head all the way down to the bottom. But a few months later it had already grown several inches, and so the braid pulled cruelly at her hair.

By the time Rapunzel had decided she was going to read, she heard a small voice from down at the bottom of the tower call out, "Rapunzel!"

Rushing to the window, Rapunzel leaned out just a little and looked straight down. A little boy in a dirty long-sleeved shirt and too-big pair of pants stood at the bottom, staring up at her. His face was covered in dirt and soot, his messy chestnut hair poking out from beneath a brown page-boy cap. The sleeves of the shirt and pants were rolled up to his knees and elbows, and a pair of suspenders hung down his legs. "Rapunzel!" he called again, pointing to a bag at his side. "Let me up!"

"Pascal," she gasped in excitement, tossing her hair down for him. With his bag in hand he quickly clambered up the blond locks and tumbled into the tower, adjusting his hat. "Hiya Pascal!" she cried the moment he'd recovered, kneeling in front of him and nearly pushing him over as she leaned in to look curiously into his bag. "What did you bring for me today? Anything interesting? I finished those books you brought last time. And the cake was delicious. Did you bring anything to eat?"

"Come on, get out of there!" Pascal whined, gently moving her away. With a pout, Rapunzel flopped down on her knees, watching him curiously. "Okay, so today I brought you a couple new books," he stated, pulling them out of the bag. She quickly snatched them from him and he almost thought he was going to lose his hand if he wasn't careful.

Rapunzel began flipping through them, pleased with the first one. "It's got pictures in it!" she cried happily, eyeing them in wonder.

Nodding and shifting so he could sit cross-legged on the wooden floor, Pascal answered, "I figured you'd like those. Apparently it's a book about all the places in the world. With maps and pictures of their outfits and things like that." He dug through the bag again and pulled out a plate of carefully wrapped scones. "I brought these to share," he added with a small smile. "Missus Dorothy made them."

"Oh, that was sweet of her," Rapunzel answered with a small smile. She was distracted by the second book. It had no pictures, but it looked to be a romance novel of sorts. She would be reading late into the night now, she already knew that. "Oh! Pascal, I'll make some tea for those scones!" she suddenly cried, noticing that he was going to eat one whole. Getting up, she gave him a wink and called back, "Two sugars and lots of cream, right?" as she ran to the kitchen.

Pascal nodded, pouting and setting the scone down on the plate again. "Yeah, thank you," he answered, flopping back on the floor to stare up at the ceiling. Climbing up her hair took a lot of effort and he was always pretty beat after it, but it was worth it. After Rapunzel was done marveling over her new treasures she was going to continue with his lesson. This was Pascal's favorite part about visiting the strange girl who lived in the tower.

Several years ago, Pascal had run away from town. He was an orphan, a street urchin who survived from thieving and the kindness of others. Every once in a while he got a job, though mostly bad ones like assistants to people or doing things like shoveling coal.

He'd come across the tower completely by accident one day. He was being chased by a few of the police from in town for stealing a lady's purse and several apples. Planning on hiding behind the curtain of vines, Pascal tried to push himself behind them when suddenly he fell through, and found himself in a passageway to the grotto in which the tower resided.

He'd never seen a building so tall before in his life. "_Hello?" _he called, looking around to see if anyone was there. It didn't look like there was any way in. Then suddenly a braid of golden hair flew down and landed at his feet.

Well, being in a tower with a stranger with an unusually large amount of hair was a lot better than being caught and punished.

So Pascal cautiously climbed the hair, pulling himself up and into the window to look up into the expectant face of Rapunzel. She blinked down at him. At the time she'd only been fifteen. "_Oh!_" she greeted, looking surprised. "_Hello there. I wasn't expecting a little boy. I'm waiting for my mother!_" she explained, smiling sweetly at him.

Pascal blinked. "_Your mother?_" he asked, frowning slightly. "_Do I sound like your mother or something?_" he asked, wondering if he should be offended or not.

Giggling into her hand, Rapunzel shook her head. "_No, I don't think so. But from so far away you did sound a little like a lady._" Then her eyes caught sight of the purse in his hands, and she stared in awe for a little while before Pascal noticed.

"… _What?_" Pascal murmured with a raised eyebrow, putting the purse and apples behind his back. "_Look, I got these fair and square, you're just gonna have to climb down yourself if you want one,_" he stated in an almost scolding tone to her.

Rapunzel looked very put-out. "_I just want to see them,_" she insisted, her lower lip jutting out as she clasped her hands together, watching him. "_Please? I've never seen something like that before in my life!_"

Pascal was a little surprised at this. "_You've never seen a lady's purse before?_" he demanded, pulling it back out to present to her. She quickly snatched it and shook her head, beginning to rummage through it excitedly. "_Hey, be careful with that!_" he cried, nervously. "_There's probably valuable stuff in there!_"

Disregarding him, Rapunzel pulled out a small pair of glasses, holding them up to her face to look through the lenses. "_If this is a lady's purse then why do _you_ have it?_" she asked, putting the glasses back and pulling out another item to inspect.

"_Because,_" Pascal began before he realized he didn't want to tell her the reason. "… _Because shut up,_" he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her.

Rapunzel giggled a little, handing the purse back. "_You're funny,_" she stated with a smile. "_My name is Rapunzel. What's yours?_"

"… _Pascal,_" the boy answered, taking the purse back and inspecting her from head to toe. "_Why do you have so much hair?_" he demanded, frowning a bit as he waited for her answer.

The girl didn't seem very keen on answering. "… _Pascal. I like that name_," she said instead, smiling and nodding. "_It fits you, too. Tell me, Pascal, where are you from? And how did you find me? I've only ever seen Mother. And I've certainly never seen any of those things you just showed me._"

Pascal didn't seem to believe this, but he shrugged and replied, "_I'm from a village not far from here, just a couple minutes away._" He paused, thinking a moment. "_You've really never seen this stuff before?_" he asked. Rapunzel shook her head furiously. Pascal rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "_… Do you know how to read?_" he inquired, leaning toward her to wait for her answer.

"_Of course I can, silly,_" Rapunzel answered cheerfully.

This seemed to be just what Pascal wanted to hear. "_Then have I got a deal for you_."

And so they made a deal with one another. Pascal would bring Rapunzel different things from the outside, and in exchange she would become his tutor. So far, he'd learned to write his alphabet and numbers. He learned a little bit of math and started to read, and by now he was getting into harder, longer books. She even taught him how to paint and draw.

"Here you are," Rapunzel stated, bringing the tea back over and breaking Pascal from his thoughts. He smiled and accepted the steaming cup. "Careful!" she cried, noting how he was about to down the whole drink. "You'll burn yourself," she sighed, patting his head before she sat across from him. "So Pascal, do you have any news for me today?" she asked, blowing on her cup before taking a dainty sip of her tea.

Pascal sloppily blew on his own, unable to hold the cup quite as well as she could. He always felt like he was going to drop the pretty little tea cups that she insisted they drink from when he came to visit. "Oh! The Captain is coming into town tomorrow for his inspection!" Pascal stated, looking over at Rapunzel.

Rapunzel gave him a smile. "Your friend Maximus?" she asked.

Maximus was the captain of the guard from the Royal City. There was a checkpoint in the little village Pascal lived in that he had to check up on once every three months on his rounds. It took a month just to get to the village, it was so far away from the Royal City. Maximus was well known for his amazing kindness and his love of children.

Nodding excitedly, Pascal took a huge bite of his scone before adding with a mouthful of food, "Yeah. I'm real excited, he promised he'd bring me a surprise the next time he comes to visit. It's been a while since he's been here."

"That is exciting," Rapunzel answered, smiling kindly at him. But when Pascal began to smile back, she turned to look out the window, a tired sigh leaving her. "I wish I could meet him," she admitted, softly, not able to tear her eyes away from the window.

Pascal studied her face for a few moments before stating, "You could come meet him if you wanted to."

Sharply, Rapunzel turned her head back to him. "No. I couldn't, Pascal. You know that," she answered, painfully. "I can't leave. Mother… Mother says it isn't safe out there."

"I live out there," Pascal grumbled, frowning a little bit at this response. "Come on, Rapunzel. Just sneak out for the day. He only comes to visit once every three months, if you don't do it this time you'll have to wait a quarter of a year to see him again!"

"You're getting better at fractions I see," Rapunzel chuckled, smiling over at him."

Pascal crossed his arms over his chest. "I mean it. You need to get out of here. Who cares what your mother says? I've gotten along just fine without a mother, so why can't you?"

Rapunzel was about to answer when she noticed the clock. "… Oh dear. You'd better go, Pascal. It's getting late, Mother will be home soon." She quickly grabbed their tea cups and rushed to the kitchen to put them in the sink. "Here, you can have the rest of my scone," she insisted, shoving the rest of hers into his hands before tossing her hair out the window. "_Hurry,_" she hissed.

Sighing, Pascal shoved the scones back into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He grabbed onto her hair, but before sliding down, he gave her one last look. "You have to come out sometime. She can't keep you locked in here forever." Before Rapunzel could reply, he'd slid down her hair and was running out of the grotto.

Rapunzel sluggishly pulled her hair back inside and moved into the kitchen to wash out the tea cups and saucers. By the time she'd dried and put them away, Mother was home and calling for her to toss her hair down.

All Rapunzel could think about was the captain's visit, and how Pascal wanted her to come into town with him. When she curled up in bed that night, she had made her decision.

She was going to get out. Tomorrow was the day, for sure.


	4. Chapter 2: Maximus and Flynnigan

Maximus had never been so humiliated in all his life. For the first time since he could remember he was dreading making his rounds to the outposts around the kingdom. He rode with a straight look on his face, not wanting to engage in the conversations with his men as he usually did. His thoughts were on something else. No, some_one_ else. His eye twitched slightly.

"Flynnigan Rider," he growled to himself, tightening his hands on the reins under his fingers.

"What was that, sir?" his second in command asked, coming up beside him.

Maximus was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, looking over at the man by his side. "Um… Nothing. I just said we're almost done riding."

A small grin spread over the other's lips. "That we are, sir. I'm honestly rather pleased, we've been riding for days now," he stated with a small nod. "Plus, this village is usually nice and quiet. So we just need to go in, do our jobs, and get out."

"Exactly," Maximus replied, turning his eyes back to the road before him. Yes, that was true; this village never had any major problems. It was going to be a bit of a relaxing stop on their journey back to the Royal City.

At least, that's what Maximus had hoped.

They soon approached the entrance to the city, and were greeted very welcomingly by the townspeople. For some reason, Maximus seemed to be quite popular with the townspeople, especially those of the female persuasion. He never had much time for relationships or the like, but a few people had pointed out that he was quite handsome. He had bright yellow eyes, and platinum blond hair which was rare in these parts. He'd grown it out to his waist, and always kept it tied in a segmented ponytail. While he was flattered that anyone would find a lowly guard handsome, he didn't take any of these words to heart. He didn't have time to play the love game.

Maximus quickly dismounted and scanned the crowd. There was a little boy who lived here that he always wanted to visit. His name was Pascal, he believed, and last time he promised to bring him a surprise from the Royal City.

He didn't see the boy, though. It wasn't a surprise, Pascal tended to avoid crowds. For some reason the police in this town seemed to see him as some kind of threat. They called him a thief and a looter, but Max didn't believe it for a second. How could a boy so sweet be a thief?

Maximus had to do his job first and foremost, though. Smiling and offering handshakes to the people as he walked past, he led his men through the village to the outpost in the center of town. "Good afternoon, Lieutenant," he greeted, tying up the reins of his horse to the post just outside. He gave its muzzle a good pat before stepping over to the man waiting for him.

A stiff salute was offered to Maximus and he quickly waved it off. "At ease," he stated, waiting for the man's report.

"All is well, Captain," the Lieutenant replied, lowering his arm to his side.

"Excellent," Maximus answered with a nod. He turned back to the village and looked about, watching the people crowd around his men to hear news from different places they'd visited along the way. "No disturbances, then?" His expression suddenly darkened and he looked back over at the other man. "… You haven't seen this man, have you?" he added, taking a wanted poster from his bag and handing it over.

Carefully, the Lieutenant studied the page. "Flynnigan Rider?" he read, frowning. "No, I can't say I've seen him around here. Why, has something happened?" he added in a hushed voice.

Maximus glanced back at the people for a moment before motioning for the other man to step inside. Once they were both in and the door was securely shut, he began nervously pacing around the room. "Our security was breeched about four months ago." He ignored the shocked look on the Lieutenant's face and continued. "The Crowns were stolen. I know it was him, one of my men saw him clear as day. He probably hasn't made it out to hear because it's such a long journey, but Flynnigan Rider causes much trouble in the Royal City," Maximus explained, rubbing the back of his neck with a frown. "I had hoped I could chase him somewhere where I could capture him. We saw him in a few other towns on the way here, so I was hoping…" He trailed off then shook his head, looking back over at the Lieutenant.

"If I see him," the other man stated, saluting. "Sir. I'll be sure to send word right away and attempt a capture."

"No, capture is almost impossible with as little troops as you have here," Maximus answered, exasperated. "He managed to evade a whole platoon back in the Royal City."

He didn't like the way his inferior's eyes widened slightly at the news. "An entire platoon, sir?" the Lieutenant repeated, looking slightly nervous.

With a nod, Maximus moved to the window. "That's what I said. You'll do well to stay out of his way. Hopefully you can chase him out of town if you do see him, better that than him hiding out here because he thinks he's safe."

"Yes, sir," the Lieutenant answered, looking determined.

They talked for a little while longer about what the weather was like, any new births and deaths since Maximus' last visit, a few minor infractions which had been committed, and the preparations for the Lanterns Celebration which would be held in a month's time. By the time Maximus left the outpost it was well into the afternoon.

He stepped outside and moved to where his horse had been tied up, only to find it was missing. He stared at the empty spot in disbelief for a few long moments, wondering if perhaps one of his men had taken it to the inn for him, but then he heard something that convinced him otherwise.

"Seems a shame, that horse was really gorgeous," a teasing voice called out from above him.

Growling, Maximus wrenched his sword from its spot at his hip and moved to the middle of the street, looking around. "Show yourself!" he snapped.

"Well you're no fun at all," the voice sighed. "I quite like this game of cat and mouse we have going on. Come on. Why don't you play nice kitty-cat and come and find me?" A laugh echoed across the street.

Maximus' eyes scanned the roof tops until he found what he was looking for. A flash of blue, ducking behind a chimney. "I'm not really a cat person," he answered back, glaring at the building in question. "Show yourself," he repeated. "Flynnigan Rider!"

Slowly, a figure rose from behind the chimney Maximus was eyeing; a tall young man with brown hair and eyes. But more importantly, a satchel at his hip. "Well you're no fun," he huffed, leaning against the bricks in front of him. "I thought you'd at least take two guesses to figure it out. But it seems you still remember me quite well."

"By order of the Kingdom of Corona I order you to hand over that satchel!" Maximus cried, holding out a hand to Flynnigan. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!"

A smirk flitted across Flynnigan's face. "I get a choice then?" He slid down the roof and landed on the ground in a crouch, slowly bringing himself into a standing position. "You know I'm always game for the _hard_ way," he added with a grin.

Gritting his teeth, Maximus growled, "Just hand it over. It doesn't have to be like this."

"No, it doesn't," Flynnigan noted, pulling a dagger from a pouch at his side. "It's just much more fun."

Maximus almost didn't see the dagger until it was too late. With a small cry, he tossed himself out of the way, turning to glare back at Flynnigan. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you not ready?" Flynnigan laughed, pulling another two daggers out. "I thought you army guys were trained to be on your toes at all times!"

Humiliation. One thing that Maximus couldn't stand. It was his Achilles heel; people tended to get a rise out of him through mocking and taunting because he could not stand the thought of letting it go. "Flynnigan!" he snarled, rushing at the other man.

After months of following him and periodically fighting him, Maximus knew well that Flynnigan was weak in close-range fighting. The trick was getting close enough to him to be able to fight, as Flynnigan usually had a better grasp of the terrain and was much quicker on his feet than Maximus. But for some reason it didn't take much for Maximus to get close on that day. He brought his sword down, hoping to cut into Flynnigan's shoulder, but he was halted by the two small blades Flynnigan had pulled out. He held them crossed over one another, holding Maximus' blade back easily.

"You know, it gets old when you call me Flynnigan all the time," the brunet sighed. "You can just call me Flynn. I mean, we're friends, right Max?"

"Hardly!" Maximus snapped, pushing down harder. He could feel Flynn's strength beginning to leave him, he was starting to give.

But Flynn was only letting up a little so that he had enough leeway to bring his leg up and kick Maximus hard in the stomach. With a groan of pain, Maximus stumbled forward, and Flynnigan dropped his daggers and ducked around him as he tripped. "Ch-cheater," Maximus coughed out, rubbing his abdomen.

"All's fair in love and war," Flynnigan replied, flourishing into a bow before he turned tail and dashed off.

Maximus wasn't going to let him get away that easily. He'd been chasing this man for months, all over the kingdom, and now he finally had him. Pushing through the throbbing pain in his gut, he set off at a sprint after him, sheathing his sword as he ran. "Rider!" he cried, watching as Flynnigan tried to duck around a corner.

But when Maximus turned the corner right after him, he found that there was no sign of the thief. He kept a sharp eye out, gritting his teeth slightly in frustration. He had to be around there somewhere, he couldn't just disappear.

Flynn's boot slipped on the cobble stones in the street. He had ducked into a small alleyway two buildings. "Damn," he swore as Max turned into the space as well and was immediately hot tail again.

They both broke into a run once again, and the moment they got onto the street Flynn tried to lose Maximus in the crowd of people doing their last minute shopping. There was a sea of faces, talking and laughing together, completely unaware of what was going on between the captain and his prey.

"Excuse me," Maximus murmured as he caught sight of Flynn walking casually in the opposite direction. He pushed through the throngs of people, trying desperately to get at the thief. When he'd finally been released from the large group, Flynnigan was already halfway up the street. Again, Maximus made chase, and soon he caught up to him, grabbing his arm. "You're under arrest!" he snapped.

The man that Maximus had in hand looked up at the blond in confusion. He definitely was not Flynnigan Rider. "My apologies," Maximus quickly said, letting him go.

"Looking for me, Maxi!"

Max turned. There was Flynn, standing right behind him with his hands placed cockily on his hips. "Well, this has been fun," he chuckled, inspecting his nails. "But I think our game is over for now, my friend. Have fun with your travels, alright?" He began to turn away, but Max would have none of it.

"Oh no you don't!" Maximus cried, lunging at him. Flynnigan let out a surprised cry and attempted to jump out of the way, but was just a bit too slow. Max's fist collided with his chest, and suddenly the wind was knocked out of him. He stumbled back, coughing, trying to take in a breath, but Maximus wasn't through yet. He grabbed Flynn by the collar, slamming him against the nearest building.

Flynn weakly struggled against him, and as he finally drew in a breath he realized his feet weren't touching the ground. "H-hey hey! Come on now, no need for the violence!" he laughed, nervously. "We can work this out, can't we?"

Eye twitching in irritation, Maximus leaned in a little and hissed, "You're under arrest. We're going back to the Royal City and you'll be executed, if you're lucky."

"Sounds a bit harsh for stealing two crowns," Flynn grumbled, picking at some dirt on Max's shoulder.

"Oh, you're being punished for a lot more than that," Maximus snapped back, tightening his grip on the other man.

Flynn let out a long, bored-sounding sigh. "Well, if you insist. But, do I get a final request at least?" he asked, giving Maximus a pleading, pouty-lipped look.

A deep frown creased Max's face and he answered, curtly, "Yes, I suppose you would."

"Excellent!" Flynnigan chirped. That smile was far too pleasant for Max's liking. He realized a second too late that it was a trap, but what kind he didn't know. As he began to move away, Flynnigan suddenly tossed his arms around his neck.

And planted his lips on Max's.

Max was so shocked he let go of Flynnigan's collar. Which was exactly the reaction Flynn was hoping for. He wasted no time in ducking under Maximus and dashing off, not even taking the time to toss a last glance over his shoulder at the captain before he ran away and out of the entrance to the city.

It took Maximus a very long moment to recover. He blinked once. Twice. And then he felt rage bubbling inside of him. How dare he?! "RIDER!" he screamed again, rushing after him and out into the forest.

A flash of blue in the trees immediately told Maximus where he was. He tried to stay quiet, but his anger was too much to keep in. Flynnigan heard him coming from several yards away and began to run again. But just as Flynn was passing by a veil of vines, Maximus let out a cry and tackled him.

Neither was expecting to fall through the vines.

Their rivalry momentarily forgotten, Maximus and Flynnigan looked at each other before slowly making their way through the small opening, coming out into a grotto. Their eyes scanned up the tower resting in the middle in unison.

"… Shall we?" Flynn asked with a mischievous grin.


End file.
